


Every creature needs its environment

by BlackHellKitty



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Don't read if you haven't seen the movie or read the screenplay!, Fluff, M/M, Newt ist Newt and that's cute, Percival is soooo lovable, Slow Build, Spoilers, The smut will be there in later chapters, so be patient
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-30
Updated: 2017-08-04
Packaged: 2018-09-03 07:48:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 20,770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8703775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackHellKitty/pseuds/BlackHellKitty
Summary: The last scene, were Newt goes back to the ship and his love interest to Porpentina gets clear has never happened. He stayed in America for another while - why will be described in the story. ;) The love between Newt and Percival will build very slowly - so be patient and look forward to it. ^^





	1. Chapter 1

Newt should have expected the meeting. It had been just a few days after the events of Credence. Just yesterday he had brought the egg shells to Jacob. He still was sad about the fact that he wouldn’t be allowed to be friends with this brave muggle but he hoped against hope that the law about the ‘No-Maj’s’ as they were called here would loosen up in the next years as they had in Britain. The meeting went not too bad. Newt told what had happened from his point of few and it seemed like he could go as fast as he had come to the ministry. But that was before the Madame President came into the room. Everything in Newt went stiff. He didn’t like this woman a bit. He couldn’t tell what she would do next - even less than he could tell at any other person.

 

“Mr. Scamander”, she began and Newt instinctively looked down to the floor. “Yes, Madame President?”, he greeted her by standing up and reaching out a hand, still looking shyly on his feet. She took it shortly and went around the table were the auror had sat before, who’d asked the questions. “I won’t pound around the bush, Mr. Scamander. I’ve talked to the Minister of Magic in Britain and told him about the events. He confirmed me that we can’t let you go back to Europe soon.” Newt looked up at her with big eyes. ‘Why’s that?’, he wanted to ask, but as usual he couldn’t get a word out in front of her. But the Madame President seemed to understand his unasked question. “You let your Thunderbird out a few days ago. We want to make sure that it gets to Arizona safely and without too many people seeing it. And because you are the person who knows best about this creature the MACUSA wants you to lead it there.” That brought a little smile on Newts face. “Yes, I’d like to help you with this.” “Then everything’s said. At least for the moment.” With that she left the office.

 

…………………………………..

 

It wasn’t all too hard to bring Frank back to where he belonged. And of course Newt couldn’t resist but watch out for some new creatures he didn’t know. He was lucky when a yellow and red centipede like beast decided to use his shoe as a bedding one night. So with the centipede in his case he went back to New York to report that his job was done.

 

…………………………………..

 

In the meantime they had found the real Percival Graves. He’d been trapped in a magical match box at his own home, hidden behind teacups and other dishes. After what had felt like a million tests he’d been through to prove that this time it was really him, Percival could go back to his old job as Director of Magical Security and head of MACUSA's Department of Magical Law Enforcement. When he heard that Newt was back and right now standing in the office of the Madame President he sent a memo that he wanted to see him afterwards. He had been curious since they had gotten him out and told him everything about what had happened, who the man was who’d realized that Grindelwald was underneath the shape of himself. In some kind of way this man had saved him.

 

About half an hour after he’d sent the memo there was a knock on his door. “Come in”, Graves said and laid the file aside he had been working on. The door opened slowly before a tall but lanky guy came in. He wore a blue coat that seemed to be too big for him, a yellow and black scarf and a suitcase in his hand. The last item was what gave him away to Percival.

 

“Mr. Scamander, it’s an honor”, he greeted the man, standing up from behind his desk and coming around to shake the man’s hand. Newt took it, but as always looked anywhere but in the man’s face. It was strange for him to think of the man as another person than Grindelwald. Percival was a bit irritated by the not looking in the eye of Newt but let it be. He gestured to the sofas that stood on the other side of his office. “Please, sit down.” Newt did as he was told. He still felt uncomfortable in the headquarters of the MACUSA. Not only because of the try to kill him, but also because it was a ministerial building. It reminded him too much of his brother.

 

“Do you want something to drink?”, Graves asked, already moving his wand when he sat down on the opposite sofa. “Coffee? Tea?” “A cup of tea would be nice”, Newt said, giving a short glimpse in Graves’ direction, together with a shy smile. In less than a minute a warm cup of tea and another cup of coffee for Percival himself stood on the table between them.

 

“So tell me everything, Mr. Scamander. How did you realize it wasn’t me back then? Sorry, I’m curious”, Graves said with an apologetic smile. “No, that’s alright. It’s good to be curious”, Newt said honestly and the shy smile widened. He told Mr. Graves everything about the events, how he realized that he knew the behavior of the man from someone different and finally put the pieces together. He was thankful that he never stopped him in his telling and with the more words that spilled from his lips he got a bit more sure about himself.

 

“Wow”, Percival finally said. “I just don’t know how to thank you, Mr. Scamander. If there’s anything I could do for you, I would appreciate it.” Newts eyes went back to his own hands again, that played with the end of his coat nervously. “Please”, Graves tried to motivate him. “Just tell me. Whatever it is, I’ll give it to you.”

 

“I…”, Newt started, but stopped himself. “What?”, Graves said, looking eager to fulfil the man’s wish. Newt shook his light brown locks and smiled to himself. “No, you can’t do this, Sir.” “Just tell me!” Finally Newt gave in. “I wondered if you could do anything because of the creatures”, he nearly blurted out. When Graves didn’t seem to understand he started to explain: “The Madame President told me that I couldn’t keep some of them. The MACUSA wanted to check them and said that some of them were too dangerous and shouldn’t be transported in my case any longer.” Saying this, the man looked like someone had hit him in the face. “Oh”, was Graves only reply. “See?”, Newt said. “You can’t do anything about that…” To his big surprise the head of Magical Law Enforcement shook his head. “No”, he said, “I can do something about that. Or at least I will try. Of course I can’t change what the Madame President has said, but I can try to find another option where to put the animals.” He knew, without Newt telling him, where the creatures should go if they weren’t killed at all.

 

Newt’s eyes went wide. “You would do that for me?”, he asked disbelieving. “I’ll try, Mr. Scamander. For now…”, he stood up and Newt hurried to do the same. “I have a lot of work to do, as you can imagine. You’ll hear from me soon.” Graves reached out to shake hands again and this time Newt took it with a little less hesitation. The man didn’t remind him of Grindelwald anymore.

 

…………………………………..

 

Graves stayed true to his word and some time later a letter reached Newt, telling him that the pets he couldn’t keep, would get into some kind of reservation which he was allowed to build as he thought it right. But before that Mr. Graves asked for a visit in Newts suitcase to have an idea about how big the reservation must be.

 

They met at Graves office the next day. Percival’s hope that Newt would be a bit more chattier this time was destroyed by first sight. Newt was shy as before, looking more often on the ground than on the man before him and making himself smaller than he was. Percival didn’t understand him. He was a great man, great wizard who’d rescued a lot of people because of his knowledge, but still he didn’t seem to see this himself. All Scamander-like Newt asked Graves to follow him into his case. On their way down the ladder he warned him of some kinds of flowers he shouldn’t touch or some animals he should stand a bit away from, because they didn’t like new people around them.

 

Percival couldn’t hide that he was surprised how big the inside of the suitcase was. He knew the spell and saw it many other times, but the suitcase was a really fine magician’s work. “Have you build this all by your own?”, he asked when they passed another room before they got ‘outside’ and into the first enclosure. “Yes”, Newt simply answered, not sounding proud or anything. “Every animal has it’s own environment here. What it needs to be happy.” He didn’t turn while talking, always speaking with the few in front of him, instead of Percival.

 

Walking behind Newt gave Percival a good few from his backside. Although a million interesting things happened around him he somehow couldn’t keep his eyes from Mr. Scamanders back. He was so lanky, but still it suited him fine. His long limbs fitted his freckled skin and the light brown hair, that sometimes seemed to be nearly golden when a beam from the artificial sun fell on it in the right angle.

 

“The reservation should be similar to the case, Mr. Graves. Every one of my pets needs its own environment. Do you think you can do that?”, Newt suddenly through him out of his thoughts. “Erm, yes, I think so”, Graves said, taken aback. The magizoologist gave him a little thankful smile. “Here we are: first enclosure.” Newt showed Graves several of his creatures. He told enthusiastically about them and Percival wondered about the brightness on his face and the chatty behavior when it came to his animals. He also showed him which one the Madame President thought couldn’t stay here and why and with every adding animal Newt looked like he was suffering a bit more. And somehow Percival couldn’t ignore it and suffered a little bit with the man. It made him sad to see this gentle person who seemed to live only for his creatures so broken.

 

They reached the last enclosure where Newt showed the Bowtruckles to Graves. “They can open door locks, can’t they?”, Graves asked, when Newt gave one of the creatures into his hands. “Yes, they are very clever little things, but also a little picky.” “Picky?”, he asked, lifting his brows a bit with the question. “They don’t want to live in every kind of tree. They need special ones that have their favorite fruits on it and have enough evergreen leafs on it.” Percival nodded and played a bit with the Bowtruckle in his hand, before he gave it carefully back to Newt and maybe, just maybe, his hand brushed against the other man’s a little longer than necessary.

 

Newt didn’t seem to notice it or he didn’t want to notice it, anyway he didn’t say or react to it. He just sat the Bowtruckle back to his companions and led their way back to the entry. Before they went up, Newt turned and looked shy up to Graves: “I thank you, Mr. Graves. For giving me that chance.” Graves smiled. “Please, call me Percival. And it’s a pleasure. Just a little thanks compared to what you did for me.” That got him another little smile from the man. “Newt”, he introduced himself, eyes wandering around nervously. Before the moment could get too awkward, Newt turned and got up the ladder, followed by the minister.


	2. Chapter 2

They had sat a date in two weeks when Graves would have got more information about the reservation, so Newt was taken aback, when the doorbell of his little apartment rang late in the evening and the man stood outside his door.

 

“Good evening, Newt. I hope I don’t disturb you?”, Percival greeted him politely. Newt shook his head and let the man in. “I won’t keep you long from whatever you’re up to. I just wanted to give you something back”, Percival grinned while Newt looked irritated. With a swift motion the minister put something out of his inner pocket that seemed to hide there. “You!”, Newt nearly shouted when the Niffler came into view. Like a child who knew exactly that it did something wrong the little thing tried to look as innocent as possible but couldn’t stop grinning like an idiot. “I’m afraid he tried to steal my watch”, Percival said and wanted to hand the creature over to the magizoologist. But the Niffler had a different idea and tried to crawl back into Percival’s pocket.

 

Without a second thought Newt tried to catch it. Of course he didn’t get it, but slumped hard into Percival. “Sorry…”, he whispered, still holding onto the arms of the man to save himself from falling. Percival had gone all stiff and couldn’t hide the slightly blush that started to crawl over his face. “No problem”, he said after a moment of just staring down at Newt.

 

The Niffler had run away into the living room in the meantime. Another awkward second passed until Newt released Percival’s arms and stood back up. “I’m really sorry, Mr. Gra… Percival”, he now said, suddenly looking on the ground again, cheeks a bit red himself. “It’s really no problem at all, Newt”, Percival cut in. “But by the way, doesn’t he has a name?”, he asked to change the subject and get out of this awkward moment. “I haven’t found one yet”, Newt answered, looking nearly apologetic. “What do you think of Orel? It means ‘golden’”, Percival said and grinned to enlighten the mood a bit. “That’s a nice name”, Newt said, smiling to himself. Both of them didn’t know what else to talk about, so Percival finally said his goodbye and left Newt and Orel to themselves.

 

…………………………………..

 

Another two days passed without anything important happening. When Newt sat at the table and had some breakfast himself after feeding his pets, Orel waddled to him, climbing his leg and finally sat down on the table next to the teacup. When Newt refused to look at him, still reading the newspaper in front of him, the little creature had enough. He let the thing he had carried fall into the cup with a splash.

 

“Orel!”, Newt shouted in shock, jumping from his chair when the tea hit his trousers. The little thing chuckled and ran away quickly so Newt wouldn’t catch him. With a sigh Newt sat back down and fished the thing - whatever it was - out of the cup. To his amazement it was a silver watch that looked all too familiar to the young man. Fine letters on the cover told that the watch belonged to P. Graves. Newt sighed again. Why in Merlin’s name did it have to be HIS watch again?

 

Tea was still dripping from the watch. “Tergeo”, Newt conjured in hope that the inner technique wouldn’t be destroyed completely. It still ticked, but that didn’t have to mean anything. How could he give the watch back? He couldn’t just send it with an owl and don’t tell who robbed and ruined it. So there would be just one way. Newt had to think about Percival’s strong arms again, when he had hold on to them. He shortly closed his eyes and imagined the cologne that the minister used to wear. No, he couldn’t meet him again. He would just wait until they met for discussing the reservation. Maybe that would be best.

 

Carefully he put the watch into a handkerchief and put it safely in one of his inner pockets in his coat where Orel would hopefully not find it again.

 

…………………………………..

 

The meeting came sooner than Newt wanted it to come. The night before he had laid awake nearly the whole time and so it wasn’t a wonder that dark rings formed under his eyes. He’d thought of what he could tell Graves because of the watch. It had stopped ticking some days ago after he’d tried to dry it again and was now just a silent piece of jewelry.

 

So now that he was sitting in Percivals office again, he played nervously with his scarf and bit his lips hard, while he waited for him to appear. “Newt!”, the man greeted him cheery, when he entered the office. Newt who’d sat with the back to the door jumped a bit out of his skin by the sudden greeting, but he smiled when he turned and greeted Percival, too. Maybe smiled a bit too much, at least that was what he told himself, before reducing it to a shy one.

 

They discussed the reservation and how and where Percival had thought to build it. He showed some plans to Newt where he could draw in what would be needed in which enclosure. The conversation went well until they were through with the main topic and it was time for Newt to give the damaged watch back. “Erm…”, he started unsure, looking anywhere but at Percival again. “I erm… I…” He looked around the room as if he could find the right words hanging around somewhere. Percival waited patient. In his few meetings with the man he had learned that it would be best to wait until he was ready to get off whatever was on his chest. So after a moment and a deep sigh Newt just put out the watch from his pocket. “I’m afraid this is yours”, he said and handed it over to Percival.

 

He took it and of course heard that it wasn’t ticking anymore. Before he could ask, Newt suddenly blurted out: “I’m sorry! Orel… he must have fetched it from you when he tried to crawl back into your pocket and-“ Percival put up his hand to stop Newt in his words. “It’s okay”, he said and to Newt’s astonishment he smiled. “I never really liked this watch. Orel can have it if he so dearly wants it. By the way - you kept that name?” Newt smiled a bit dreamily, “Yes…”, before he remembered what Percival had said before. “But it’s your watch. I’m so sorry he destroyed it. I will pay for it.” Again Percival shook his head. “As I said: I never really liked this watch. It was a present from an… a present”, he finished his sentence. “So see it as a present for Orel. It’s nearly Christmas anyway.” Smiling he handed it back to Newt, who took it with some hesitation. “Can I repay you in some kind of way then?”, he asked. He wasn’t used to anyone giving something to him without consideration.

 

Percival gulped a bit too hard. There were a lot of things he thought about as a consideration right now. For example to kiss Newt. But he buried this thought deep inside himself, before he could think about it too much. This would be blasphemy. Newt was a man like him. He had to stop thinking about him in that kind of way!

 

“You repay it enough if you draw in the things that the creatures will need down into the plan, Newt. It’s really all right.” Newt didn’t seem convinced but he let it be.

 

When he came home in the evening he put the watch out of his pocket and laid it into the Niffler’s nest. Although he was tired as hell he couldn’t sleep. He thought about the words from Percival. Who’d gave the watch to him? Finally he fell in an uneasy sleep over the topic and tossed and turned from one side to another. Orel had climbed out of the suitcase again, looking at his Mommy with some kind of worry and finally crawled into bed to Newt. He rolled into a ball next to him and when he still didn’t lay still, Orel searched his bumbag and laid the broken watch in Newts hand. Not immediately, but after a moment Newt’s hand closed around the watch and his sleep got more and more relaxed. Happily the Niffler cuddled closer and fell asleep, too.


	3. Chapter 3

Newt woke up because of the tickling of some fur against his nose. “Oreeeeeel”, he protested against the stomach of the little animal who chuckled because of the air blown to his body. He waddled away happily and if Newt hadn’t heard wrong he kind of hummed a melody.

 

He shook his head about the strange creature and sat up. It was just then that he felt the watch in his hand. He stared at it for a long time, a thousand things running through his head. He should buy a new watch for Percival. He felt bad even if the man said he didn’t want a repay. His thoughts kept clued to Percival the whole morning. He wondered if he maybe had a pet himself, what form his patronus had and what he might be doing right now in his office. It was hard for Newt to concentrate on the plans for the reservation, but he drew everything neatly and wrote explicit orders onto them.

 

Later in the evening Newt was invited to the Goldstein sisters for dinner. As always it was a pleasant meeting with his friends. Porpentina was back on her old position at MACUSA and told him everything about her work. He tried to listen, but with every time she mentioned the Department of Magical Law Enforcement or the Magical Security, Newt’s thoughts went to a particular minister. Tina didn’t seem to notice it, but Queenie did. When Tina went to the kitchen to fetch the dessert, she bent forward over the table and asked: “Newt? Why do you permanently think about Mr. Graves?”

 

Newt flinched back by the sudden question and was relieved that Tina came back in the same moment so he didn’t have to answer the question. For the rest of the evening he tried hard to just think of Orel and his other pets.

 

…………………………………..

 

The next time Newt met Percival for discussing the reservation they met in Newts flat. The ministry did some necessary clean-up operations and therefore they couldn’t meet in Percival’s office.

 

Newt was showing the plans to Percival, when suddenly his gaze lingered on Percival’s shoulder. First the man didn’t recognize it, but when Newt didn’t answer to his question he looked up. Eyebrows lifted he asked: “Newt? What is…?” “Don’t make a move”, Newt cut in and slowly stood up from his chair. With very slow motions he came nearer to Percival, hands reaching out, like he wanted to fetch something. “What is sitting on my shoulder?”, Percival asked alarmed, but trying to keep still as told. “Nothing to worry about as long as he won’t crawl under your clothes”, Newt explained featureless. Percival exhaled slowly. He should have known that something like this would happen when he visited Newt.

 

Newt’s hands were only inches away from Percival’s shoulder now and he finally reached out on a fast speed to catch whatever was sitting on him. Of course the animal escaped and crawled under his clothes. “Holy troll dung!”, Percival screamed and jumped from his chair, starting to rip his jacket and button down shirt from his body. Whatever had crawled inside of his clothes seemed to have a million little feet that tickled over his skin. “What is this Newt?!”, he screamed while undressing, fumbling with the buttons of his shirt. “I don’t have a name yet”, Newt said, trying to help Percival rip away his clothes. “I call him Tick.” The answer wasn’t helpful at all, but finally they had Percival’s clothes down and he could see, what ‘Tick’ was. It was a giant centipede like creature with red an yellow stripes that explored his chest and bore down precisely on his navel. “Take it away!”, he screamed, not knowing what to do. “Immobilus”, Newt conjured and the creature stopped and fell down to the floor. Quickly he ran to the kitchen and fetched an empty jam glass where he put the creature in.

 

They both sat on the ground, staring at the bewitched animal in the glass. “Lovely pet”, Percival joked dryly, but smiled. “I’m sorry”, Newt apologized. “I found him in Arizona. I don’t have him very long now. I don’t know what he is able to do, already.” Percival wanted to reply something, when Newt’s eyes suddenly went wide, staring at his chest. Hastily he looked down at himself and frowned. His body was sprinkled with red dots where Tick had crawled on him before. “What the…?”, he said and wanted to touch on of the dots. “Don’t!”, Newt stopped him, reaching forward to keep his hand back. “Don’t touch the dots. As I said, I don’t know what Tick can do yet.”

 

“But what should we do against these now?”, Percival asked and sounded a bit panicked. He hadn’t the intension to die today. “Lay down on the sofa. I get something from the suitcase”, Newt instructed him and got up to go for his suitcase. Percival did as told, lying down nervously on the sofa in the living room. He could hear distant rattle from Newt who searched through his potions and tinctures to find something he could work with. After some minutes he came back with a box full of things. He sat down on the floor and started to spread different things on Percival’s stomach, eyebrows contracted in concentration. The first few things didn’t seem to work, but after the fifth try Newt found something that made the dots vanish.

 

Percival sighed relieved. “Thanks, Newt”, he said, smiling down at the man who seemed to be relieved, too. “Stay down for a moment”, he advised, starting to close the flasks he brought with him and put them back into the wooden transport box he’d used. The older man looked at him and wondered if the freckles had always been so prominent on Newt’s face. They spread over his nose and cheeks like stars over the night sky and Percival couldn’t stop himself from thinking about touching and kissing them. As usual he tried to ignore the urge to do so but in some strange kind of way he couldn’t. The feeling just got stronger, the more he tried to ignore it.

 

When Newt wanted to stand up and bring his potions back, Percival stopped him by reaching for his arm. Newt turned irritated. Percival stood up from the sofa and without a second thought he pressed his lips on Newt’s. The man went all stiff, nearly letting the box he carried drop to the floor. For a millisecond it felt to Percival as if Newt was giving in and kissing him back, but the impression fainted as fast as it had come and Newt pushed away from him. With eyes big as saucers Newt ran into the kitchen and shut the door behind himself.

 

His heart pounded as if it wanted to break through his chest, when he let himself glide down the kitchen door. The tincture that had helped was a mixture of fennel and parsley and Newt had totally forgot about the side effect of it. It not only helped against inflammation, but also had a light aphrodisiacal effect on humans. He normally used it for his animals when they were injured because of a fight and therefore he nearly forgot what it did to humans. “I’m sorry”, he squealed breathlessly, hoping that Percival could hear him from behind the heavy door. “I forgot to tell you that the tincture has a light aphrodisiacal side effect.”

 

He didn’t get an answer immediately, but after a moment he could hear Percival’s voice. “Oh… okay…? Erm, I’m sorry nonetheless, Newt.” Another moment of silence. “When will this er… side effect stop?” “In one or two hours, I think”, he said, but added, “or when you released yourself.” By the last sentence his face turned a bright Gryffindor-red and he was only thankful that Percival couldn’t see him right now.

 

“Two hours?!”, came the shocked answer from the other side. “I’ve got a meeting in less the one hour!” Newt forgot to breathe for a moment. “Erm, then you…”, he gulped hard, “don’t have another option than to… release yourself I’m afraid…” He never had thought of such an embarrassing situation possible.

 

He liked Percival - a lot actually - and he had to admit that he had thought about him in ways he shouldn’t think about him. Newt didn’t have a problem with same-sex interests. He knew them all too well from some of his creatures and what other were humans? But Percival would never ever like him or even think about him like he did and therefore the incident with the potion was a scandal.

 

Newt could hear a little thud on the door next to his head. On the other side Percival has sank to his knees and placed his head on the wood of the door. He had his eyes pressed together. How could this happen? How could he lose control so much that he kissed Newt? ‘Kissed!’ him! He sighed deeply, trying to get himself together. There wasn’t another option. “Can I use your bathroom then?”, he asked, nearly choking on the words. “Of course”, was all Newt could get out. His heart was still pounding as if he’d run a hundred miles. He kept stiff until he heard Percival stood up and walk through the room to the other side where the bathroom was and shot the door. Only then he let his body relax and let the breath out he had been holding.


	4. Chapter 4

He didn’t get out of the kitchen until Percival had gone. They had said their goodbyes through the closed door - none of them ready to look the other one in the eye. After that Newt had gone into the suitcase. He couldn’t bring himself to go to the bathroom until the next day.

 

…………………………………..

 

Percival was glad when he could get back into his own office. During the clean-up operations he had shared a big office with several other aurors and he hated to not have privacy. It was until then that he watched over the plans from Newt. He’d worked very neatly and hasn’t forgotten a single thing. And back to the privacy of his own office Percival couldn’t stop his thoughts from wandering away from the topic ‘neatly work’ to ‘neatly Newt’. Although his home was a bit of a mess, he was a very neat person. The mess came more from the creatures, Percival guessed. He wondered if Newt was as neat with everything as he was with his handwriting and drawings. What would he do, if there was come all over his body…?

 

“Mr. Gaves, I-“ Percival was thrown back to reality as if he had been thrown into a tub with cold water. “Ms… Ms Goldstein…”, he stammered when Queenie stood in the door of his office, face red like a ripe tomato. She looked at him like he had actually been doing the things he’d thought about and now Percival couldn’t stop from blushing either, although he tried to hide and override it. “Ms. Goldstein, what can I do for you?”, he asked, trying to sound normal and not like a thief caught during a robbery. “I…”, Queenie stuttered and obviously needed a moment to get to her point. “I just wanted to bring that report, you’d asked for.” With hasty steps she came over to his desk and laid it down. “I hope it’s as you wanted it to be”, she squeaked and nearly ran out of his office.

 

He wondered about Queenie for the next few days. Had she… but… it would be ridiculous. He could ask her sister at least, if Queenie was what he guessed she was. But then he would have to tell her that he suspected her reading his mind and as far as he knew Tina she would ask what Queenie might have read. No option then…

 

…………………………………..

 

Christmas was near and so Percival and Newt didn’t meet for the next few days. Newt went for holidays with Tina and Queenie and Percival went to the office, doing all the work he hadn’t time for in the last months and weeks. He didn’t have someone - his parents were long dead and there weren’t any siblings or friends he would celebrate with. So he was more than surprised when he found a little present on his desk on Christmas morning. It was wrapped in golden paper and a little letter was attached to it. Percival gasped when he saw the letters on the note - neatly handwriting with some strange looking footprints on the bottom:

 

_Dear Percival,_

_I want to apologize for all the trouble I brought to you the last few weeks. I hope you don’t hate my creatures for it, but they are children, not able to understand their strength or actions yet. I hope that this little present repays the discomfort a bit. Have a nice holiday._

_Newt_

 

He tried to ignore the fact that his hands were shaking a bit when he opened the present. Inside the paper was a little black box, obviously with jewelry inside. Carefully he opened the box and smiled when he saw what was inside. A beautiful silver watch lay on a black pillow. On the cover was a picture of an animal that looked much like Orel. Percival smiled even wider. This was actually the first present he appreciated since he was a kid. He placed the watch at his jacket immediately and the whole day he felt the weight of it against his chest and was reminded of the fact that someone - no - Newt Scamander - thought of him on Christmas.

 

That was also why he felt bad in the evening. He hadn’t anything for him and he hated himself for it. He didn’t care about presents so he wasn’t very good at thinking of one for his friend. At last he decided to just write a nice letter to him, but this wasn’t as easy as he’d thought it would be. He needed several tries to write down what he thought without letting it sound too indifferent or too tawdry and smitten. In the end he read the short letter again:

 

_Dear Newt,_

_thank you so much for the beautiful present. But as I told you before: you musn’t have done that. Nonetheless I appreciate the watch and will wear it with joy, always being reminded of a good friend. I hope you have a good time on your holiday. Stay save and we’ll see each other in the new year. Percival_

 

He coiled the letter and gave it to one of the ministerial owls to bring it to Newt.

 

…………………………………..

 

It was nearly eight o’clock on 31 December. Percival was sitting in his flat, reading a book about magical creatures he’d bought some days ago, when the doorbell rang. With a surprised face of about who would ring at his door at this date he went for it. His surprise even got bigger, when he found Newt standing in front of it, all fancy dressed and styled for a New Year’s Celebration. “Newt…?”, he greeted the man with astonishment.

 

Newt was shy like at their first meeting. He looked down on the ground, searching for the words he had thought about for hours now. “Hello, Percival”, he said unsure, glimpsing up at him shortly, before looking at his polished shoes again. “The people at your work had said you would be here…”

Percival stiffened a bit. Newt had been at the ministry to search for him? His heart started to pound on double speed immediately. “Obviously you found me then”, he said baffled when Newt seemed to wait for a response.

 

“I… I wanted to ask if you would like to come to Time Square with… Tina and Queenie and… me?”, he sounded so insecure that it was hard for Percival to not take him in his arms and kiss that uncertainty away. When he didn’t reply immediately Newt continued babbling: “That’s just if you haven’t other plans of course and if you’re not invited by anyone else, I’m sure you’re invited by a lot of people and-“ “It’ll be a pleasure”, Percival cut in and smiled at Newt. Newt looked at him with big surprised eyes. Obviously he hadn’t counted on him saying yes. “I just have to change into something more festive, I think.”

 

The magizoologist nodded, still baffled about the acceptance. “When should I be at yours? Or Tina’s if that’s where you meet?” “At ten…”, Newt said, trying to get more sound out of himself than a whisper. “And it’s at my place”, he said, fumbling with the end of his scarf nervously. “Then I’ll be there”, Percival said and suppressed the need to kiss Newt’s cheek for goodbye before closing the door.

 

When Newt had gone, Percival leaned against the front door and tried to stop his heart from racing. Newt had asked him to celebrate New Year’s Eve with him. Out of all people he asked him. “That doesn’t mean anything”, Percival told himself when he went to the bathroom. Newt liked him as a friend. It was more likely that he went to the feast with one of the Goldstein sisters and they just wanted him to come so the other one would have some company, too. That would it be then. Just some kind of double date. Not a date with Newt.

 

…………………………………..

 

Newt nearly collapsed on his sofa when he got home. He’d asked Percival out for New Year’s celebration. And Queenie would be there he suddenly realized. They hadn’t talked about the topic on their holidays. He’d tried to not think of Percival too much then, too. They also had been very busy, the sisters showing him the sights of New York, so it hadn’t been too hard to forget about him some time. And when the letter reached Newt one day after Christmas it had been all clear to him, hasn’t it? He’d thought of Newt as a friend. And this had been clear all along, right? He would never be more than a friend. And Newt could be happy with still having him as a friend after all these incidents. But still it felt like he’d just asked him out on a date.

 

Would Queenie notice anything? Of course Tina always told her that she shouldn’t read the people’s minds but she couldn’t always control it. Especially when the mind of someone was nearly screaming its thoughts out into the world. But would Queenie really think bad about him if she read his thoughts again? They had grown very good friends over the past view months. And she got to know about his different lifestyle. About his few of the world. Not especially about him liking Percival Graves, but that he didn’t care who someone was as long as you loved the person and the person loved you back. Would she really think bad about Newt?

 

…………………………………..

 

Ten o’clock came sooner than expected. Tina and Queenie had arrived some minutes early and at 10 o’clock sharp Percival arrived, too. He greeted the ladies first, giving both of them a kiss on the hand, all gentlemanlike. They went for Time Square by foot, the cold December air hitting the places where they weren’t wrapped in scarfs and hats. But they didn’t care about it, all happy chattering and reaching around hot spiced whine they had brought with them in a thermos.

 

A lot of people had come to the Time Square to watch the fire work and to celebrate the beginning of the new year together. It were No-Majs and wizards alike. So it wasn’t a wonder when they stumbled over Jacob Kowalski, too. He smiled brightly when he saw Queenie. She’d come to his bakery every now and then and they knew each other by now - as No-Majs of course. When Jacob went for his friends who he’d come with again, Newt took Queenie aside and said: “Come on - go after him.” She looked at him a bit frightened. “But the laws…” “Will hopefully be changed in some time”, he ended her sentence. Queenie looked unsure and her eyes wandered to Percival. “Will you ever tell him?”, she asked Newt, the sounds of cheering around them loud enough so nobody else would hear them. She hadn’t told Newt about what she’d seen in Percival’s head. To be true she wasn’t sure what to make of it anyway. Maybe she had been wrong and her legilimency had played a trick on her. But she knew what she’d seen in Newt’s mind. What feelings he had about the man.

 

“I don’t know”, he answered honestly. “But if YOU don’t hurry, Jacob and his friends will be gone in the crowd.” She looked at him for a second longer and nodded, smiling. Then she hurried after Jacob.

 

“You know they can never be together, Newt”, Tina told him, when he got back to their little group. “In Britain they already can”, he just said and gave her a look that this topic wasn’t up for discussion. Percival was amazed that Newt could be so sure and unmovable about something and he smiled secretly to himself. He hoped that someday their friendship would be as strong as the one between Tina and Newt.

 

It wasn’t long until the fireworks started and everyone clinked glasses. They stayed a little while longer until most people headed home. Queenie came back to them, smiling like an idiot. Jacob had come with her and said that he would take the Goldstein sisters home. His bakery was near their flat so it wouldn’t be an extra way for Newt and Percival. So the men said their goodbyes and wishes for the new year, before they headed for their way home, too.

 

Newt’s flat was nearer so they headed there first. When they reached the main door of the house they stood on the street a bit awkwardly, both not knowing how to end the night. “So, thanks, I assume”, Percival started, nervously scratching his neck. “I’m glad you came with us”, Newt said, searching the ground for help again. “We’ll meet at my office next week?”, Percival asked, thinking about how much easier this would be if Newt would be a girl. They could build something more than friendship then and he could kiss him right now. Newt’s thousand freckles trapped his gaze again. They were hidden under pink because of the cold (it must be because of the cold), but still shimmered in the light of the streetlamps like a million stars. “Yes, I guess so”, Newt said and awkwardly tried to hug Percival. ‘Fuck it’, Percival thought, and pulled Newt close. It still was just a hug, but it was something more than they both had expected. Percival could feel Newt’s heartbeat even under all those layers of fabric. He’d gone all stiff and rigid but after some seconds melted in the hug. He would never get more so he was glad that he got it at all. Secretly he tried to smell Percival, face next to his neck, to remember his odor for when he would be alone again. Percival himself just hugged Newt close, imagining how it would feel to hold him like this in bed without all this layers between them.

 

“Happy new year”, Newt whispered before they parted and Percival answered: “For you, too, Newt.” Then Newt went for the door and kept standing there until Percival had vanished behind the next block.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm very sorry that this chapter is so short, but it was the perfect moment to cut it. Hang on to the two of them - they'll get happy in the end - promise! ;)

Of course Percival could have interpreted something into the heavy beating of Newt’s heart, but he just put it down on the alcohol they’d drank and the shock of him pulling him close so suddenly. It couldn’t be that Newt liked him any other way than as a friend. Liking another man was just not normal. He told this to himself repeatedly and over and over again, but still he couldn’t stop these thoughts about Newt. And these fucking feelings. They’d started since the present had lain on his desk. Every time he thought of Newt he didn’t just thought of him as a very good looking guy he wanted to do unsayable things to, but of him as someone he wanted to give his love to. Sometimes he also caught himself thinking of Newt making breakfast while he sat on the table and read a newspaper or both of them sitting in armchairs reading books and petting Newt’s creatures who lay at their sides. Simple things, something he could do if Newt would be a woman. But he wasn’t. And never would be. Never!

 

In his inner fury Percival put down his coffee mug a bit too hard and the coffee splashed on the documents he was working on. Whinging about himself he cleaned up the mess and sighed when he sat back in his chair. He couldn’t continue like this. He had to forget about Newt or he would go mad sooner than later. He should go out, he decided after a moment. He should go into some bars and get himself a girl. Getting this need to touch and kiss out of his damn head.

 

…………………………………..

 

Newt wasn’t too excited when Queenie told him to come with her to a party. Tina didn’t has time because of her job and so Queenie had asked him. It was some wizard-party in one of the hidden clubs in town. Finally he’d gave in.

 

Now he was standing in front of his mirror, lifting one outfit after the other in front of his body to decide which one to wear. He didn’t has many outfits but it were enough so the decision wasn’t too easy. Finally he decided on a dark brown suit and a light blue button down. Not too fancy, but enough so to fit in the bar’s environment. Queenie was already waiting for him outside his flat when he went down to the street. She wore a pink dress as far as he could tell. She had a heavy fur over it against the cold - it was still January and with that very cold.

 

The bar was crowded with people when they arrived. It was one of the newer establishments and therefore everybody wanted to go there. Queenie eyed a friend of hers and they sat down at her table. They chatted for a good while until their drinks were empty. Newt went to get them another round. When he reached the bar his heart skipped some beats. Percival was sitting at one of the barstools, a young witch next to him. He stopped chatting with her when he saw Newt. Their eyes met and both men gulped hard before both returned to what they were doing.

 

‘Of course Percival meets with women. Why shouldn’t he?’, Newt chided himself, when he went back to Queenie and her friend. He was a grownup man who wasn’t married yet. It was his good right to search for a wife and to date women for that. But although Newt kept on telling this to himself, his gaze wandered to the bar again and again. Queenie and her friend didn’t seem to realize it or just didn’t care while they were drinking and laughing.

 

One time Newt thought that Percival had looked at him, too, but this couldn’t be. He was here with a beautiful young woman - he would only have eyes for her. Maybe he’d just looked at the clock that hung over their table.

 

Two hours later Newt apparated home with Queenie. They were both too tired to walk. He waited until she was inside, before he apparated back to his own apartment. His babies were already sound asleep in his suitcase and so he went straight to his bedroom. He folded his clothes neatly on a chair before he slipped into bed and coiled up himself. He didn’t even know why he was so sad, but he finally couldn’t stop the tears that had welled up in his eyes. He grabbed the broken watch that still laid on his bedside table, since Orel had given it to him the one night. Silently he cried to himself and held the watch close to his heart. It seemed like the silver would burn his chest where it met it, but he knew it would hurt even more, if he laid the watch aside.

 

…………………………………..

 

Percival had brought the lady home he’d chatted with the whole evening. She was a very nice person and she was kind when he told her that he wasn’t sure if he would meet her again. “That’s ok, darling. Just promise me one thing: Get happy”, she told him before saying goodbye.

 

After that he stood alone on a cold January road and couldn’t stop thinking of Newt. He’d looked so hurt when he’d left the bar with Queenie. Like someone had hurt his favourite creature and he was the one suffering for it. Percival hated that look on his face. It shouldn’t be there. Newt should always smile and laugh and has everything in the world he wanted to have. They’d gone a few minutes before Percival and the young witch so it was likely that Newt was home until now.

 

A monomania came to Percival’s mind and without a second thought he apparated to Newt’s flat. He went up the stairs and stood in front of his door when he stopped in his plan. What did he want to say then? Maybe Newt was already asleep. He couldn’t ring so late in the night. And maybe it had just been imagination? Maybe Newt was fine and Percival had just imagined him looking sad. He ruffled through his hair and sighed. He couldn’t do this. This was madness. With the feeling of his heart weighing as much as a stone, Percival turned and went back down the stairs.


	6. Chapter 6

The next few weeks Percival contacted Newt just via owl. He couldn’t bring himself to meet the man himself. He was sure he couldn’t stop himself one more time. Stop himself from blurting out what he felt for him.

 

It was an early morning in March when someone knocked on Percival’s office door. It was Queenie who looked like someone had kicked her ass before. “Good morning, Ms. Goldstein”, he greeted her, giving her a smile. She gave a shy smile back and inhaled one more time, before speaking. “Good morning, Mr. Graves. I… erm… I think you know about the mission Newt went on with Tina?” “Something about a beast, isn’t it?”, Percival asked, motioning to a chair so Queenie would sit down. “Yes, they are hunting for one who escaped from a reservation near Vegas.” She made a little break before continuing. “Newt gave his suitcase to me. He couldn’t take it with him - it would have been too dangerous. I… I looked for it for a week now, but I’m afraid I don’t have time for it the following week. I’ve got a special job from the Madame President that will eat up my whole time.” She looked up at Percival, straight into his eyes, nearly pleading. “You were the only person who came to my mind who also knows the animals and who doesn’t want to hurt them.”

 

Percival was taken aback a bit, but he smiled. “I will look after them, Ms. Goldstein. And I must say it honours me that you thought of me.” Now she smiled too, relieved that Graves would help her. “Thank you, Mr. Graves. I owe you a favour.” “It’s alright. I’m glad if I can help you.” She brought the suitcase to him some hours later, telling him that the animals were fed and he wouldn’t need to look after them before the evening. She also handed him a copy of the notebook so he would know which one would need what.

 

…………………………………..

 

Percival couldn’t supress his nervousness completely when he entered the suitcase this evening. It was the first time he went in there alone. In the little preparation room he found everything he needed for the feeding and he filled several buckets.

 

The first one to greet him was Orel. He waddled through the door when he filled the last of the buckets with insects and tried to put a cover over it so the little things wouldn’t escape. One of the bugs could escape, before the cover was on, but it couldn’t run far - Orel caught and ate it. That was when Percival recognised the little guy. “Hey Orel”, he greeted him, reaching out a hand to pet the creature. Orel came nearer and let himself be petted. He made a sound that reminded Percival of a cat and he smiled. “I will feed you and your friends the next few days”, he told Orel who looked at him with his beady eyes. Percival wasn’t sure if he understood him at all, but Newt had always talked to him, so he would most likely understand him in some kind of way. “Will you help me?”, he asked and Orel climbed his arm and sat on his shoulder. This was answer enough then.

 

Together they went to every animal and all in all the tour went well. Some of the creatures were suspicious because they didn’t really know him but after a while they took the food and accepted Percival.

 

The game continued the next two days. Orel had decided to sleep next to Percival and the man wondered if he also did this with Newt. It was during the third night, when a shrill sound woke Percival. He went straight to the suitcase and climbed down the ladder. When he followed the sound he ended up at the nest of the Occamies. One of them seemed to be hurt. His left wing hung down strangely and he was the one who made the shrill sounds. “Ssssshhhh”, Percival tried to soothe the animal, taking it up into his hand. When he reached out to pet it’s head he remembered that they didn’t like to be petted and could take back his hand just in time so it wouldn’t bite him.

 

The creature wouldn’t stop making the horrible sounds when he brought it to the preparing room, searching for some gas plant essence to help the healing process. “Please stop crying”, he pleaded, unable to concentrate properly. He tried to remember how Newt acted with the animals normally. “Mummy”, he mumbled to himself when he remembered. But just calling himself mummy wouldn’t make him their mummy. “Ok”, he finally said bugged out and turned to the creature. “I know I’m not your mummy, but please, please keep quiet for just a moment so I can concentrate on what I’m doing, ok? I want to help you, but I can’t do so when you cry all the time.” The little dragon-like animal looked up at him quietly for a moment, before it started with the sounds again.

 

Percival sighed. “Please, stop, please. Daddy’s here, alright? I-“, he stopped in his words when the creature stopped making the sounds immediately. Just then he realized what he had said and he sighed heavily again. “Wonderful”, he murmured to himself. “Now I’m daddy of an Occamy…” But he was glad of the silence, so he wouldn’t tell the animal otherwise. Finally he found the essence and put it on the wing carefully before he splinted and bandaged it. During the process the Occamy bit him several times but it seemed to be more lovingly than to hurt him, so he didn’t protest too much.

 

…………………………………..

 

Percival had taken the Occamy up with him, building a little nest for it out of some pillows in an old aquarium. He didn’t want it to get hurt again by its brothers and sisters.

 

The rest of the week went well and he nearly befriended with some of the creatures. So the knocking on the door at Sunday evening came rather unexpected.

 

He had been sitting in one of his armchairs, reading, the Niffler sitting on his shoulder. When he opened a quite battered looking Newt stood in front of him. “Hello Percival, I-“, he stopped when he saw Orel sitting on the man’s shoulder. “-heard you were looking after my creatures…”, he ended, astonished. “Yeah, Queenie Goldstein asked me to help and I had time so…” Newt still looked up at Orel amazed, when they entered the flat. “I assume I should thank you”, Newt said shyly, stopping when he saw the pillow-filled aquarium with the Occamy inside. “What happened?”, he asked immediately concerned and went across the room to have a better look at the animal.

 

“I’m afraid it’s siblings hurt his wing. I fixed it as good as I could”, Percival tried to explain, hoping that it hadn’t been wrong. Newt turned back to him, eyes wide when he looked the man in the eye for the first time this evening and if Percival wasn’t imagining it, they were filled with a hint of tears. “Thank you, I owe you a big favour”, he said, smiling. ‘A kiss would do’, Percival thought, but could stop himself before spitting it out. “It’s all right”, he said instead, waving aside.

 

They stood opposite each other for some more time, both not really knowing what else to say or do. “I think I bring him back into the suitcase”, Newt finally suggested and reached out for the Occamy. To both their surprise the creature bit Newt hard into his wrist. “Ouch!”, he shouted and took his hand back immediately. “What’s that for? Mummy wanna’ bring you home” he said, looking down at it, hurt. “Let me try it”, Percival said, reaching for the animal. Without hesitation it let himself be taken into his hand. If possible Newt’s eyes grew even wider. “I think it befriended with me this week”, Percival tried to explain, looking apologetically. “Obviously”, Newt nearly whispered. He’d never seen one of his Occamies so familiar with someone else. Even with Jacob they hadn’t been this close, although the man had been a friend of all his creatures.

 

They brought the Occamy back to his brothers and sisters. Everything in the suitcase was on its place, nothing seemed wrong. Newt was very amazed. He knew that Percival cared for his animals in some kind of way - otherwise he wouldn’t take so much time designing the perfect reservation for them, but he had never thought that he cared for them that much.

 

Back in the flat Newt stood in front of Percival unsure. He was fumbling with the end of his scarf again. “I’m really thankful”, he told the floor. “As I said before: It’s all right. It was my pleasure”, Percival answered. He felt the need to take Newt’s chin between his fingers and turn his face to look at him. But he remembered what he had found back in the suitcase. There had been a picture of a girl in one of the little houses. It was an old photography but it had shown him more than obvious that Newt liked girls. Of course he did.

 

“Come Orel”, Newt said to the Niffler when an uneasy silence settled between them again. The little animal crossed his arms and shook his head. “Orel”, the magizoologist warned him, but he still wouldn’t move. Newt sighed. “Percival wants his privacy back, please just come now”, he tried one last time. The only answer was Orel gripping Percival’s waistcoat firmer.

 

“Don’t make your mummy angry”, Percival said and tried to get Orel down from his shoulder. The little animal fought back, but finally gave in and let himself be handed over to Newt. Their hands brushed together for more time than necessary, both men holding still for a moment. Newt had blushed by Percival calling him the mummy of his pets and now the shade was getting even a darker pink. Hastily he took Orel and put him on his own shoulder.

 

“We will let you have your privacy now, Percival. Thank you so much for everything”, he said, eyes jumping hastily from one point on the floor to the other, before he stormed out of the flat, suitcase and Niffler pressed tightly to himself.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry that the chapter is so short again, but the next will follow very soon. :) 
> 
> At this point I also wanted to thank you for reading and supporting this story so much. You can't imagine what that means to me. Love you all my darlings! <3

Two days passed before Newt brought himself to go to Percival. That was because of two reasons: Number one was the fact that Newt wasn’t sure if he could get out just a single word if they would meet again. Percival was simply perfect: Nice to his pets, nice to him, always doing him favours without wanting repayment, very handsome and Newt had fallen in love with him. Him - Percival Graves - auror, director of Magical Security and head of MACUSA's Department of Magical Law Enforcement, a great MAN. The second reason why Newt hadn’t gone to Percival immediately was that he didn’t want to admit to himself that Percival had done something obviously better than him with his pets. He didn’t know why, but his Occamy didn’t want to be touched by him anymore. This wouldn’t be that big of a problem, but he needed to get the bandage off and he didn’t want to do so with magic. The risk to hurt the creature anew was too big.

 

So now he was standing in front of Percival’s door, sighing deeply and trying to get himself together. It was late in the afternoon so Percival was already at home. In some way Newt was thankful for that. What would it have looked like if he’d met him in the office and everyone would have saw that the magizoologist needed help with his animals? He inhaled deeply one more time before he knocked.

 

When Percival opened the door Newt couldn’t but stare a bit. Did Percival ever wore something different than his usual business clothes? Not that Newt would protest. When he realized that he eyed the man in front of him a bit too intensely he hastily looked down to the floor, cheeks red like a ripe apple. “Hello Percival”, he started with shy voice. “I’m sorry to interrupt you without announcement again.” Percival was a bit baffled, but he picked up courage fast again. “No problem, Newt. How are you? Come in.”

 

They went inside and Percival led them to the living room. “What can I do for you, Newt?”, he asked when they’d sat down into the armchairs. Newt was still blushed and the colour vanished under his shirt. Percival gulped a little harder when he imagined how deep the blush would reach.

 

“I’m afraid I need your help. The Occamy you healed… it won’t let me near it. I can’t get the bandage off his wing…”, Newt finally got out. He was visibly embarrassed. “I can take it off, if you want me to”, he suggested, trying not to offend Newt more. Newt nodded. “I’m sorry to disturb you because of something that silly”, he told Percival, really meaning it. “Don’t be”, Percival said immediately. When he didn’t know what else to say so Newt wouldn’t feel bad anymore he said: “So should we go into the suitcase?”

 

The sentence sounded weird even to him, but he didn’t give that away. With the perfect poker face he followed an even more blushing Newt into the suitcase. They went straight to the Occamies. Percival carefully reached for the bandaged one and as expected it didn’t try to bite him. He took off the bandage slowly. Newt watched with amazement the whole time. “What did you do different to me?”, he wondered aloud. “I don’t know”, Percival answered, shrugging. “Have you done anything to them last week?”, Newt asked but immediately realized what the question sounded like. “I mean, have you gave him any special treatment? Told him anything?” Now it was Percival’s part to blush. “I… erm… but this couldn’t…” “What?”, Newt insisted and Percival was astonished again about how eager Newt acted when it came to his creatures and learning about them. “It wouldn’t have stopped crying when its wing had been hurt. I couldn’t concentrate and told him that I was sorry that his mummy wasn’t there but I wanted to help him. And when it still wouldn’t stop I told him that instead its… daddy was there…” Percival was completely red now, looking to the ground. He’d never thought he would ever blush harder than Newt could.

 

This took Newt completely aback. Percival had called himself daddy to the Occamy? What in Merlin’s name…? He was speechless for some moments. Occamies longed for care, although they were very aggressive. And what they appreciated the most were their parents. That was why Newt always called himself their mummy. Okay, he also called himself the mummy of all his creatures, but… Somehow the Occamy must have liked the thought of a daddy, too. Maybe even more than his mummy.

 

Percival still held the Occamy. Newt led his hands to the nest and made him put it down again. After that he held Percival’s hands in his own, pressing them gently. “Thank you”, he said, voice throaty. “For caring for my creatures so well”, he added. “That’s not a matter of course.” He’d thought of hugging Percival, but he couldn’t. The urge to also kiss him then was too big. So he just squeezed his hands, before he let go again, searching the ground with his eyes. “I’m glad if I’m able to help a friend”, Percival said after a moment of hesitation. They went up again, leaving the awkward moment behind.

 

“So, thanks for your help”, Newt said when they stood in the small corridor. “Anytime”, Percival smiled. His hands were a bit sweaty. The moment screamed for a kiss, but he couldn’t. This would be all wrong. Would destroy everything they had.

 

Suddenly Orel jumped out from the suitcase and started to run around Newt’s legs. “Orel!”, he chided the Niffler and tried to catch him. At the same time Pickett jumped out from his usual place in Newt’s coat and onto the waistcoat of Percival. The man bend forward to catch the Bowtruckle the same moment as Newt tried to catch Orel and they both stumbled and fell over. Percival landed on top of Newt, pressing him down on the ground uncomfortably. “Sorry”, he apologized immediately, trying to get up. Somehow he just ended up more uncomfortable on top of his friend, his leg pressing hard into Newt’s crotch.

 

Newt couldn’t suppress a little groan escaping his lips. It wasn’t just out of lust. To be true it was more out of hurt, but it was there - no matter what cursed it. Their faces were just inches apart and Percival could feel Newt’s breath on his face. Like this they stared at each other wide eyed until Newt finally said: “You’re heavy…” “Sorry”, Percival apologized immediately and stood up as fast as possible. It had been the longest Newt had ever looked him directly in the eye. Now he was staring at the ground again, highly blushed. “I’m very sorry”, he told Percival before hastily grabbing the two creatures and hurrying out the door. Percival was left alone with his skin still tickling and the question if what he had felt pressing against his leg had been what he’d thought it was and if the sorry had been exactly for the same reason.


	8. Chapter 8

The next days passed without any contact between the two men. But then Percival had to contact Newt because of the reservation. He wrote an owl to him. Normally Newt had answered the same day, so when there wasn’t an answer even the next day, Percival wrote again. He wondered what had happened and he asked Queenie therefore.

 

“He’s ill”, she told him. “Or at least I think so. He didn’t want to come out for the last few days. I brought him some food yesterday.” “Then I-“, Percival started, but Queenie cut in, knowing what he wanted to say even before he could say it. “Don’t visit him, Mr. Graves”, she said, nearly pleading. “I think he wants to have some time alone in the moment. The trip with Tina had been very energy-sapping. Please don’t visit him. At least not this week.” Percival muttered but said he would let him alone. He didn’t like the situation at all. What had he done wrong? He hadn’t even touched him in any wrong way, had he?

 

…………………………………..

 

The next day Percival was shopping groceries in the early evening. He was deep in thought, still wondering about Newt, when someone bumped into him hard. “Sorry, Sir”, he just started to apologize, when he looked up and realized who it was.

 

Newt looked at him in shock, eyes wide and he seemed ready to run away, like an animal on the run. What happened next was pure instinct and only a matter of seconds before Percival caught Newt and pressed him against the shelf. Not hard, but it was clear that he wouldn’t let him go without an answer. “Why don’t you write back to me, Newt? Three letters! Why do you ignore me?” When several other customers looked around he lowered his voice, speaking quietly now. “What have I done wrong, Newt? Just tell me.”

 

Newt had tried to avoid Percival’s gaze and it took him another second before he looked up at the man, holding him close to the shelf. He had left him in a haste one week ago, deeply ashamed of how his body had responded to the accident. He’d chided his animals and said that they should never do something like that again. He had been really angry and his creatures had sensed it. Orel had ignored him the whole week and also Pickett who normally forgave him after two or three days still refused to sit in his coat pocket.

 

Now that Percival was so near to him again, Newt couldn’t slow his speeding heart. He couldn’t deny that he was a bit afraid, but still he felt so attracted to Percival, that it hurt. “I’m sorry”, he finally whispered, before holding his breath again. Sure that Newt won’t try to escape any longer Percival released his arms. “Please, Newt. What have I done wrong?” He really just wanted an answer and Newt could see the hurt in Percival’s eyes. Something he never wanted to see there.

 

“Nothing”, he said, bowing his head. “Really, you did nothing wrong.” “Don’t lie to me”, Percival replied and took Newts chin between his fingers to lift his face. He wasn’t up for hide and seek anymore. He wanted the truth. “I can’t tell you”, Newt said, eyes still trying to escape Percival’s gaze. “Why?”, the auror insisted. “You would hate me”, Newt answered thinly and tears welled up in his eyes. He hated this. Hated this whole situation. He should never have allowed himself to fall in love with this man. He should have fled the first moment he had realized he liked him more than a friend. And then there had been his stupid creatures wanting their mummy to mate…

 

In the moment Percival wanted to start arguing, an old woman crossed them and muttered something about the young people and how loud they always were. So Percival grabbed Newt’s hand and pulled him out of the shop and into an alleyway before they apparated. Everything went so quickly that Newt needed a moment to calm down when they stood in Percival’s flat. “No more lies”, Percival said when Newt seemed a little calmer again. “I need the truth, Newt. Whatever it is. Please.” Newt pressed himself into the wall of the little corridor they also had been standing in one week ago. “Please, don’t make me tell you, Percival. You would hate me. You would think me mad. I don’t want to lose our friendship.”

 

Percival started to lose his temper. “Newt”, he said, a bit louder again. “Our friendship is falling apart right in the moment. You haven’t answered to me a whole week. I needed information from you, just information for YOUR reservation and you haven’t answered one fucking letter. Tell me what’s going on or we can’t be friends anymore.” He had settled his hands on the wall left and right from Newt’s face. He knew that he trapped him again, but he would also let him go, if that was what he wanted. Newt couldn’t stop a tear from escaping. So this was it then. He would lose Percival one way or the other. So he could also tell him the truth then. Newt looked down at his feet, giving himself another breath. “I love you”, he finally whispered.

 

He did’t look up at Percival. He couldn’t stand his reaction. Knew he couldn’t stand the shock in his eyes. For a very long moment nothing happened. Newt painted the maddest things in his mind. How Percival would take out his wand and kill him, how he would punch him in the face. But nothing of that happened. Then, when Newt already thought that he should just escape, Percival’s strong hand gripped his chin and suddenly there were warm lips on his.

 

Newt was so shocked that he couldn’t even kiss back. He just stared at the closed eyes of Percival, trying not to faint. His whole body was tense and he forgot how breathing worked. When Percival let him go he gasped hard like he had been drowning. There were still tears running down his face from before and Percival reached out to wipe them away with shaky hands. “The change of environment had been a good idea”, he laughed, voice shaky, too. Then he pulled Newt with him into the living room and onto the sofa where he crushed their lips together again.

 

This time Newt could respond, burying his fingers deep in Percival’s longer strands, kissing him back eagerly. If this was a dream he wanted to never wake up anymore. He hadn’t kissed a lot of people in his life but he could tell that Percival was good at it. Strong arms pressed him into the cushions and after a moment an eager tongue tried to lick its way into his mouth. “Wait”, Newt panted and Percival pulled back as if he’d touched a hot stove. “I’m sorry…”, he started babbling, “I shouldn’t have… I thought… I’m such a… I’m sorry, Newt.” Hastily he wanted to get up from the sofa and Newt wasn’t nearly fast enough to hold him back. “Percival”, he said seriously and tried to get more sound back into his voice. Percival turned back to him and was taken aback completely by the sight. Newt was blushed from what seemed like head to toe and his freckles sparkled like a thousand stars again. His eyes glistened with the last hint of tears and his mouth looked used even after just the kiss.

 

When Percival still stood there like a statue Newt gripped his hand firmer. “Does that mean you feel the same?”, he asked, voice shakier then he wanted it to be. Percival nodded very briefly. When he still wouldn’t move or speak Newt turned his hand and kissed his palm. As if the touch of warm lips pulled Percival back to reality he sat back down onto the sofa and took Newt’s face in his hands again. For a moment they just sat there, foreheads together, breathing the other’s breath. “You can’t imagine how long I dreamt about this”, Percival finally found his voice again, before he kissed Newt.

 

This time the kiss was gentler and they took their time. Very carefully Percival licked Newt’s mouth open and into it. His hands were only touching Newt’s face and arms, not wandering elsewhere even if he wished to. He didn’t want to ruin this, whatever it was.

 

A good half an hour they sat there kissing, before they parted. “What time is it?”, Newt asked and searched the living room for a clock. “Nearly five o’clock”, Percival said, looking the time up at the watch Newt had given to him. “Already?”, Newt asked and jumped up from the sofa. “I’m sorry, I have to go! I promised Tina to meet with her!” Hastily he ran to the corridor and checked himself over in the mirror. Percival followed him, hugging him gentle from behind. He buried his face in Newts back and inhaled his smell deeply. “Don’t go”, he said, voice husky from not speaking for a good while. “I have to”, Newt sighed. “I promised her.” Percival turned Newt over so he could face him. Again Newt was searching the ground, all shy, although they had just kissed each other for half an hour. “Promise me you won’t avoid me for another week”, he whispered, searching Newt’s eyes. Newt gave him one of his half-smiles. “I’ll try”, he whispered back. Percival stole another kiss from him, before opening the door for him. “Tell Tina my regards”, he said when Newt left his flat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here we are at last - they finally kissed. :3 
> 
> Hang on - the next chapters will bring even more. ;) 
> 
> Kudos and comments are more than welcome - they motivate me to keep on writing fast.


	9. Chapter 9

Of course the next day started with as much work as there possibly could be. Percival growled, working himself through mountains of paper. At the end of the day there were still a million of open cases left. Sometimes he really hated his job. But if he hadn’t done what he was doing he would never have met Newt and that would be much worse, he told himself, when he finally, tired as hell, fell into his bed.

 

He imagined Newt when he lay on his back, staring at the wall of his darkened room. Perfect Newt with all his freckles, his oh so glistening eyes, his wicked half smile, his tousled hair. Percival wondered what he would look like under his blue coat. He’d seen some scars at his wrists, most likely caused by his animals. Would there be scars on his torso, too? Did theses maddening freckles continue over his whole body? He hoped so. Because if they did, he would kiss every single one of them. Percival drifted away over his thoughts, falling into a dreamful sleep, full of Newt.

 

As expected the next days didn’t get much better. He had a hell lot of work to do and therefore nearly no time to work with the ongoing of the reservation. And with that he hadn’t any time to visit Newt, although he longed for him like a dessert needed rain.

 

After four days he still didn’t have heard anything from Newt and he started to wonder if the man had overthought what had happened. Maybe he had acted too eager? Maybe Newt had decided that he didn’t like men at all? The thought hurt him like a dagger in the heart.

 

…………………………………..

 

In the meantime Newt had exactly the same considerations. After the first night he had thought about visiting Percival in the office. But he dropped the idea soon. He couldn’t just march into the MACUSA without any real reason. He had never been good at lying - he would be revealed in a matter of minutes. So he had waited for Percival to write to him or to simply pass by.

 

When four days had passed he nearly lost hope. Percival didn’t want him anymore. Or he never really had wanted him. He hadn’t said that he loved Newt as well. He’d just nodded. And that he dreamt about kissing Newt didn’t mean that he loved him. Maybe he had just been curious. And Newt had been the perfect victim.

 

At the fifth day Newt felt as miserable as he had been under a Crucio for hours. His animals were very concerned about their mummy. Just some days ago he had been happier than he had been in a good while, but now he suffered over something they didn’t even know.

 

When Newt sat at his table, face in hands, eyes closed and totally miserable Orel climbed out of the suitcase and waddled to him. When Newt didn’t react he stood in front of him and took Newts face between his little hands. Newt opened his eyes and some tears ran down his cheeks. “Oh, Orel”, he sobbed, grabbing the little animal and pressing it to his heart. Orel tried his best to hug his mummy back, completely overstrained what to do. An idea came to the pet’s mind. He jumped down from Newt’s grip and ran fast to the bedroom. In less than a minute he came back, waving something in his hands. It was the broken pocket watch from Percival. With the sight Newt just started to cry anew. Orel didn’t understand it and looked at the watch bewildered. Sadly he bowed his head and waddled back to the suitcase. He needed to help his mummy - he just hadn’t worked out how.

 

…………………………………..

 

Percival woke by a hollow thud. “Lumos”, he spoke when he grabbed his wand. He’d thought he’d heard something coming inside his flat. What would be ridiculous - he lived at fourth floor. In exact the moment he wanted to stand up to search his flat and turn on the lights something little - black and fluffy - climbed his bed. He angled his wand different so he could see what it was. “Orel?”, he asked astonished when he saw the little guy. “What in Merlin’s name are you doing here? How have you gotten here?” Orel looked at him like he was listening and when Percival had asked his question Orel started to make some noises, obviously telling him how he got here. Of course Percival couldn’t understand a single ‘word’, but it was clear that the way hadn’t been easy for the creature. At the end of his ‘speech’, Orel took out something from his bumbag. It was the old broken silver watch he’d gave to him. Orel started anew to make his funny little sounds and when Percival just looked at him with big questioning eyes, the Niffler sighed. Then he started to ‘show’ the man what he wanted to tell him. He tousled his top hair and sat down, playing that he was crying, then he took the watch, shook his head and laid it aside again. Then he played that he was crying again. He paused before he stood up. He pointed at Percival, then at his tousled fur and then he did something that should most likely describe kissing. It looked completely strange because of his duck like spout but Percival seemed to get it.

 

“Newt is crying and you want me to come with you and… kiss him?”, he asked, still not completely sure if he understood the theatre the Niffler had played for him. Orel nodded hastily, looking a bit bugged out, but happy that the stupid human finally understood him.

 

“I’ll just put on some clothes”, he told the animal and stood up from the bad, searching around for his clothes. He couldn’t understand how he could ever think that Newt, gentle, shy and fragile Newt, would lie to him. Would ever say something he didn’t mean when it came to feelings. He would repay for hurting him. Would try to kiss every tear away. When he was dressed he caught Orel and without second warning apparated to Newt’s flat. He stood outside the house on the darkened street, inhaling deeply before he entered the house. Newt lived on top floor. With the speed of light Percival ran up the steps and hammered against Newt’s door. He didn’t care that it was the middle of the night or that the other tenants could come out and shout at him. “Newt! Please let me in. I’m sorry, Newt. I… I was such a fool”, he shouted, knocking the door constantly.

 

It took some moments before the door opened a split. Red swollen eyes looked at Percival. “It’s been five days… I thought you… you hate me…”, Newt snivelled. Before the man could think otherwise Percival slipped through the door and closed it behind himself. “I’m so sorry, Newt”, he said and reached out to hug him close. The magizoologist first hesitated, but then let himself be pulled into the hug. He buried his face in Percival’s neck and started crying all over again. “Sssshhh”, Percival tried to soothe him and slowly stroke Newt’s head and back. They stood like this for several minutes, until Newt had won back most of his composure. Percival thought of leading them into the small living room, but decided for the bedroom instead. He led Newt to the bed and made him lay down. Then he went for the kitchen and made some tea.

 

With a steaming cup of the hot drink he came back to the bed, sitting down on the edge. “Here”, he said and offered the cup to Newt, who took it hesitantly. It was just then that Percival answered to Newt’s fear. “I could never hate you, Newt”, he said, voice low and quietly. “Even if I didn’t feel as I do, I… I could never hate you. You’re…”, he shortly laughed, “I think you’re the most wonderful thing that ever happened to me.” He’d talked to the ground in front of him, but now he turned to Newt, who, to Percival’s amazement, stared straight at him. “I think I’ve fallen in love with you, Newt Scamander. As wrong as it might be and as much trouble it might cause - I love you.”

 

Newt looked at him like he had just shot him in the gut. Then there were new tears welling up in his reddened eyes. “No”, Percival said, leaning over hastily. He grabbed Newt’s neck and pulled him close. With both hands he grabbed his face and brought their foreheads together. “No more crying, please”, he said and placed a kiss on Newt’s shivering lips. He stroke the tears away with his thumps and kissed him again and again. “I love you, Newt”, he whispered between the kisses and he really meant it. He didn’t care what might happen to them. Didn’t care what the people would say. He wanted Newt, needed him, right here and now.

 

He felt as Newt got calmer again and his breaths got more constant. “You should sleep”, he told him, still holding him close. Newt just nodded, put the untouched tea cup aside and lay down on his cushions. He hesitated for a moment but then he asked: “Stay with me, Percival, will you?” “Always”, Percival said and got rid of his uncomfortable waistcoat before he laid down next to Newt, pulling him close. He spooned him from behind and softly stroke his arm.

 

He turned out the lights with a short move of his hand. Now that it was dark Newt turned in his arms so they would face each other. He buried his face in Percival’s neck again, holding him close. “Don’t be gone by tomorrow”, he whispered, voice still a bit shaky. “I won’t go anywhere”, the auror told him and it didn’t take more than five minutes until Newt fell asleep.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooo - for everyone who was waiting for it: SMUT ahead! ;) 
> 
> The chapter's also a long one, but don't get used to it. XD

When Newt woke his first reaction was panic. But then he felt the arm around his waist and he sighed relieved. Percival was still sleeping next to him. He kept true to his word then. Carefully Newt entwined their fingers. He inhaled deeply to get in Percival’s smell. His smell had been something Newt had liked from their first meeting on. The first meeting of the ‘real’ Percival that was. The ‘Grindelwald’-Percival had smelled differently. He’d smelled of the dark and evil - not like home. Newt crawled nearer and rested his head on Percival’s chest. He listened to the even heartbeat and fell asleep over it, again.

 

The next to awake was Percival. He tensed when he felt someone lying on his chest, but when he opened his eyes and remembered he smiled. He put out his watch and looked at the time. Shit… He had to go so he wouldn’t be too late at work. He stroked Newts tousled hair and sat a little peck on his forehead. “I have to go, Baby”, he mumbled but Newt was fast asleep, not reacting to anything. So he stood up as quietly as he could. He conjured some simple household-spells and the things in the kitchen started to make breakfast by themselves. He thought of writing a letter, remembering what Newt had been afraid of last night, but that wasn’t what he did. So he simply left his scarf on the table, before he left for work.

…………………………………..

 

Newt had thought of wearing the scarf the whole day, but that would have been silly. So he just wore it when he bought the groceries he hadn’t bought yesterday. A smile was clued to his face whatever he did and if he wasn’t mistaken the animals seemed to smile, too.

 

Although he didn’t know if Percival would come back to him in the evening or would go home into his own flat, Newt prepared dinner. He did so without magic, preparing it the old-fashioned way. When he put out the pie the doorbell rang. Newt’s heart skipped a beat. He came back. He really meant it then. He went for the door as fast as he could. Percival looked tired, but he smiled like an idiot, when he saw Newt. “Hey”, he greeted him. “Think I forgot my scarf.” Newt smiled too and looked down, blushing. “It happens I have just finished preparing dinner.” The flirtatious answer went straight down Percival’s spine, together with a little shiver. How could he have overseen Newt’s feelings for so long? He went inside and the moment the door was closed he pushed Newt against the wall. Gently though, but eager he searched his lips. “I thought of you the whole day”, he panted between kisses. Newt practically melted into the touch and tried to get as much from Percival as he could. They hardly could part, but Percival stopped invading Newt’s mouth when he spotted some paste and flour on Newts cheek. Playfully he licked it away and the magizoologist shivered. “I’m starving”, Percival said and took Newt by the hand to pull him into the kitchen.

 

…………………………………..

 

“That was amazing”, Percival said when they had finished their meal. “Don’t be silly”, Newt said shyly, “I’m a lean cook.” “No, I mean it”, the auror insisted, “It’s years I think since someone cooked for me.” Newt gave him a smile, still all shy and coyly. A little silence settled in the room. Not completely uncomfortable, but not really comfortable either. “I have to feed my creatures”, Newt told then and did some spells so the dishes would wash themselves and the rest of the meal would wander into the refrigerator. “Can I help you with that?”, Percival asked and offered a hand when Newt climbed down into the suitcase. “You looked after them for a whole week. I would confide them to you completely.”

 

Percival was taken aback by this. He knew what they meant to Newt, so this statement held more in it than any ‘I love you’ ever could. He followed him and together they filled the buckets. When they reached the Occamies they squealed happily. “Yeah, good babies, mummy’s here”, Newt greeted them. When they wouldn’t stop squealing Newt turned to Percival, blushing. Percival hesitated, a little bit reddened, too. But then he screwed up his courage: “And daddy, too”, he said. If it was possible for these creatures it seemed like the Occamies beamed up at them. They fed them together and finished their tour through the suitcase. When Newt put the buckets back Percival embraced him from behind. Newt’s first reaction came naturally as he stiffened, but he soon softened into the touch. Percival peppered little kisses on his neck and let his hands wander. Newt sighed. “Not here”, he whispered. Somehow he didn’t want to do this, whatever ‘this’ really was, in front of his pets.

 

He took Percival’s hand and they went up together, Newt leading them into his bedroom. The bed was made neatly. Before settling on the bed Newt went to turn out the lights. “Don’t”, Percival stopped him at the bedside table lamp. He came close and embraced Newt again. “I want to see you”, he said, voice a bit husky. Newt turned in the embrace, looking down as usual, but smiling. Charily he looked up and searched Percival’s lips. Slowly the kiss intensified and to Percival’s astonishment it was Newt who started to unbutton the other’s shirt. So Percival also started to undo Newt’s shirt, but that wasn’t as easy as he wished it was, because to be true his hands were shaking a bit. So Newt finally caught them. “Keep calm”, he said and Percival wondered when Newt had become the confident one. With some skilful movements Newt got rid of his clothes alone. When he stood in front of Percival completely naked now while the auror still wore his pants the coyness came back and Newt blushed again. This time Percival could see how far it reached on Newts body and he couldn’t stop himself.

 

Gently he pressed him down on the bed and started to pepper kisses on Newts arms and chest, never touching deeper. He knew how to kiss - at least this wasn’t different to women. After a while he felt that he should go one level lower but he hesitated. Newt felt the change in mood somehow and took Percival’s chin between his fingers to pull him up into another kiss. Then he turned them around so he was on top. Percival wanted to protest, but Newt laid a finger on his lips. “Just let me do this”, he said soothingly and settled between Percival’s legs. He pulled down his trousers in one swift motion, before his own shyness would stop him. Percival had obviously never had a relationship with a man before so it was up to Newt to lead the situation, although it wasn’t really what he had imagined this to be like.

 

He mirrored the kisses on Percival’s chest as he had done before on Newt, just that he didn’t stop at his navel. He kissed further down and when he ghosted his breath over Percival’s inner thighs the man under him shivered and panted hard. Experimentally Newt gave a lick to Percival’s cock and the auror had the feeling to explode. He rocked up his hips without meaning to and Newt flinched a bit, before he steadied them, continuing his exploration.

 

He gave his cock another few licks before he started to take him into his mouth. Percival had tears in his eyes because of arousal. He’d never seen something more erotic than Newt stretching his mouth with his cock. He buried his hands in the magizoologist’s light brown hair, holding himself back not to push him further down. Newt couldn’t say that he’d done this often in his life. Just a few times back at school, but he knew biology and the one from humans wasn’t too different from animals and creatures. He experimented with changing the angle a bit, taking Percival as deep inside his throat as he could. He liked the taste of the man and savoured it. Percival gasped heavily when he pushed Newt back. “Stop”, he pleaded, “or I… I don’t want to… yet…”, he panted. Newt looked up, maybe a bit disappointed. “It’s okay, Percival”, he told him, “we don’t have to go the whole way today.” He really meant it. He had only once slept with another man. He knew how it worked but he also knew other ways how they could please each other.

 

Now it was Percival to surprise Newt: “But I want to get to know the… whole way. Please Newt. Whatever you like - I want to give it to you. And I…”, he had sat up and was blushing again. Percival wondered about himself. He has always been a leader, always been sure about what he was saying or doing. Never he’d felt so unsure with someone. ‘But this is Newt’, he told himself. Everything with Newt was different to what he had experienced in his life before. “I want to… come together with you”, he finished his sentence. By that Newt also blushed in a lovely shade of pink. He came back up and kissed Percival instead of speaking. The auror could taste himself on him and it made him groan. Hungrily he kissed Newt back. “We need some sort of lubrication”, Newt said after the kiss, sounding a bit nervously. It has been long since his last and only time with a man. Percival looked around the room. “What about the oil from the lamp?”, he suggested. “It will do”, Newt decided and took a good handful of it. “Lay down”, he then told Percival, “this’ll take some time.” Percival did, not know exactly what Newt meant. Of course he’d heard about how it worked between two men, but he had never counted on needing to know exactly how it worked. Now he did and he felt a bit foolish because he couldn’t take control of the situation. But his worries were soon forgotten when Newt started to finger himself. Percival’s eyes went wide, a gasping sound escaped his throat. One of Newt’s delicate long fingers disappeared inside of him and after a moment he started to move it. The auror watched as if hypnotized as the finger vanished and reappeared constantly. After some time Newt added another finger, panting when inserting it, eyes shut closely. “Don’t close your eyes”, Percival begged and came nearer to take Newt’s face between his hands, kissing him softly. Newt changed from all four to a kneeling position so Percival could kiss his body. Percival nipped and licked over Newt’s nipples and spurred on by Newt’s actions finally also took his member in hand. He gave some awkward strokes before he found a rhythm that worked for them both, while Newt kept preparing himself. “Percival”, he gasped when the man stroked him hard and Newt added a third finger, impatient by now.

 

Newt was far from ready, but his body basically forced him to take the next step. “Lay down”, he told Percival again and slightly pushed him down on the bed. He took another handful of oil and rubbed it on Percival’s cock. “Don’t push if I don’t tell you”, he asked him, voice shaky and the shade of pink on his body expanding even to his toes. Percival nodded, not able to speak anymore. He was aroused like he had never been before and his heart was speeding as fast as a Silver Arrow could fly.

 

Very slowly Newt lowered himself on Percival’s cock, going inch by inch, pausing every now and then, trying to get his breathing under control again. He supported himself on Percival’s chest and had a hard time to keep his eyes on the other man. He wasn’t good at looking people in the eye - the years of working with animals who didn’t like this, took their toll. But he tried his best, because Percival wanted him to. And to be true Newt also loved the auror’s eyes. He could lose himself in them completely and he felt just warmth flowing through his body if he did so.

 

It took some time, a very hard time for Percival, until Newt was sitting fully on him. They both panted as after a good morning run. Slowly Newt was pulling up again and they both gasped when he let himself fall back again. He continued this for some time, before he told Percival: “You… can move now, if you like.” Percival did willingly, sitting up and holding Newt close, while he carefully rocked his hips up and down. Newt gasped and at some point he suddenly screamed out loud. Percival stopped immediately looking at Newt in worry and shock. “Newt, I’m sorry. Have I hurt you?”, he asked panicked. Newt panted heavily but managed to shake his head. “No”, he whispered. “You did everything perfectly right. Do it again.” His whole body was flushed and sweat made his tousled hair cling to his forehead. Percival better not thought about what his own hair would look like, but right now the thought about his hair was as far from thinking as it could be. He pushed again in the same angle as before and Newt nearly jumped in his crotch. He tried again and again and finally got it that these screams weren’t because of hurt but of lust. It didn’t take Percival long until he felt his orgasm building up anew. He took Newt’s cock in hand again and stroked the same time he pushed inside him. After just a few strokes he felt Newt’s inner walls tighten around him and Newt came all over their bodys, Percival’s name on his lips. Percival followed just moments after, his come filling Newt and dripping down his thighs. They both shook and needed some time to come down from their highs.

 

“I want to stay like this forever”, Percival whispered, pressing Newt close to himself. “This would get uncomfortable”, Newt chuckled and pushed up from Percival so they could lie down next to each other. When they lay face to face Percival stole another kiss. “I love you”, he said and Newt looked down instinctively. But he smiled sweetly and bedded his head on the auror’s chest like he did this morning. This time he didn’t had to ask Percival to stay - he knew he would.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm soooo sorry I couldn't update sooner, but I have a hell lot of work to do in the moment... 
> 
> I hope this other chapter of smut is a bit of compensation. Enjoy - the next chapters will get a bit darker...

The next morning Percival was the first to awake. He didn’t has to go to work today, so he didn’t look at the watch or hurry to get out of bed. He couldn’t tell when he’d last felt that happy. Newt lay next to him, half of his body revealed by the covers. Now that the morning sun was starting to fall through the window he could see his body more clearly than yesterday evening. His whole torso was painted in scars. Some were just as thin as a hair, others were thick and from the size of a hand or even bigger. Although Percival had never thought it possible, he had to say he liked Newt’s skin. It was like map. A map about his life and his adventures and about the love he kept for his creatures. Gently and featherlike Percival traced the lines with his fingers.

 

Newt woke slowly by the tickling sensation on his skin. “Good morning”, Percival greeted him, not wondering the first time about himself. Since when had he become so soft? Normally he was a hard man, unyielding and strict. Not unfeeling, but not showing much emotions either. But with Newt nothing of this seemed to matter. With him he was someone completely different. Newt beamed up at him, still sleepily. “You’re here”, he whispered, voice still hoarse from sleep. “Of course I am”, Percival said, stroking Newts hair and cheek, placing a little peck on the corner of his mouth.

 

When Newt moved he could feel the dried rest of their last night’s activities. “I should take a bath”, he said and stood up. He blushed when Percival wouldn’t take his gaze from his body and Newt had to suppress the urge to cover himself with one of the bedsheets. “May I accompany you?”, the auror asked wickedly and grinned. The red colour stretched to Newt’s ears. “Yes”, he said shyly and it sounded more like a question.

 

Percival stood up from the bed as well and took Newt’s hand to lead them to the bathroom. The tub was small, but it would do. With a single move of Percival’s hand the tub filled with warm water. Newt observed his magic fascinated. Percival was a pretty good and trained wizard. Not many could use their magic so easily with just their hands and he couldn’t suppress the obscene thought of what else the man would be good at with his hands. Newt blushed again and hurried into the tub therefore. He pulled his knees to his body so there would be enough room for Percival, who followed soon after. He sat behind Newt and gently pulled him backwards, so he was leaning against his chest. With a soft washcloth he started to rinse water over the magizoologist’s body, starting with his arms and torso and just hesitating shortly before he also cleaned him in his more private regions. Last night had changed Percival’s few of the world somehow. Opened his eyes that in fact they were all human - no matter if they were men or women. A point of few Newt seemed to have ever since. A question came to Percival’s mind and he couldn’t stop himself to ask it.

 

“Have you… done that before? What we… did last night I mean…” Newt tensed a bit by the question. “Yes…”, he said and tried to get away a bit from Percival, thinking that he may not like the answer and didn’t want him close any longer. But Percival reached out and pulled him even closer, showing him that he didn’t want to offend him, but to get to know him better. He closed his arms around Newt’s chest and buried his face in his neck. “I’m glad you know how it works. It would have been awkward if we both wouldn’t have known”, he chuckled softly. Newt smiled shyly. “So you’re not upset about it?” “Upset?”, Percival asked and looked up astonished. “Merlin, no. Why should I? I don’t have any right to demand someone’s inexperience. And as I said: I’m glad you know”, he tried to soothe him.

 

They relaxed in the water for some time, before a question gnawed at Newt’s mind. “The girl…”, he started carefully, not sure how Percival would react, “the young witch you met at the bar… were you…” He couldn’t finish the question, but Percival already pulled at his shoulders and turned him around so he could look Newt in the eyes. “I couldn’t”, he said seriously, looking down shortly and sighing over himself. “She was very nice and my plan had been to meet someone and fuck her that evening.” Newt flinched by the word. ‘Making love’ was the word he preferred. ‘Fuck’ was just so… it made him feel like a piece of meat somehow.

 

“I wanted to get you out of my head”, Percival continued then. “You were everywhere - at my office, at my flat, in my dreams. I… I didn’t know how to handle all this. I wanted to get these fucking feelings out of my mind. Wanted to forget about the… NEED I felt whenever looking at you.” “So you didn’t sleep with her?”, Newt asked carefully, having a really hard time to keep his eyes on Percival’s as well. “No. To be true… I ended up in front of your door. But I couldn’t find the strength to knock…”, he ended his story. Newt gulped hard. “Since when…?”, he wondered, not able to finish the question again. “I think since I first met you”, Percival said and was shocked when a little tear escaped Newt’s eye. He reached out and wiped it away. “Have I said something wrong?”, he asked worried. Newt shook his head, mouth open in awe, so Percival continued. “Maybe I’ve already fell in love with the idea of you. You rescued me. And then you were in my office and all you asked for was helping your creatures. I saw how much you care about them, what you give to them…” He shortly stroked one of the scars. “I was afraid of my feelings, didn’t believe them, you know? But they are there and they are true.”

 

Newt’s heart was thundering until then and he leaned forward the last inch and kissed Percival. The kiss was all gentle and soft, but there was so much lying in it. With some time it got more eager, more demanding. Newt lay down on top of Percival, so their whole bodies were touching. It didn't take long until they both were fully erected. “I want to be inside of you“, Percival whispered breathless, touching Newt everywhere. The feeling of tightness and heat yesterday, of being pulled all in had been so overwhelming that he hadn't been able to really enjoy it. He wanted to be in charge this time, pleasing Newt all the way he wanted to be pleased. He reached around Newt's back, carefully playing at his entrance with one finger. Newt moaned and clawed his fingers into Percival's strong arms he adored so much. It was answer enough for Percival to continue. Slowly he pushed into Newt with the finger. His hole was still a bit loosened up from yesterday evening so it wasn’t too painful without any lubrication and the water also helped a bit.

 

He slowly started to move, rubbing their cocks together in the same time. Newt’s skin was reddened by the warm bath and the growing lust and his freckles shone through. Percival kissed his face and wandered down to his neck. “I love you, Newt”, he growled, before adding another finger. Newt moaned by the feeling and bit down lightly into Percival’s neck, clawing his hands at his back. Percival shortly removed his fingers, slicking them up with soap and then entered three of them, carefully moving them. “Move them like scissors”, Newt advised him breathlessly, impatient to be filled with something different already. Percival did as told and opened him up. Newt took both of their cocks in hand, stroking lightly. Percival gasped by the feeling. He had been already so hard by just the sounds Newt was making and by the thought of being inside of him in just a few minutes that the strokes were nearly too much. So he finally removed his fingers, looking Newt in the eye shortly. “Can I?”, he asked and he was relieved when Newt nodded. He put more soap on himself and pushed Newt on his back, so he was on top now. Slowly he guided his cock to Newt’s entrance and pushed in. They both gasped and they held each other close. Newt searched for Percival’s lips, when he started to move slowly.

 

They took their time, going slow and deep. After a while Newt pushed back into Percival’s thrusts. He blushed even before he gave voice to his next question. “Faster”, he whispered into Percival’s ear and a shudder went down the auror’s back. He was more than pleased to obey, when he went faster in his motions and also a bit harder with it. The water in the tub swapped over the edge but they were both too close to care. This time Percival was the first to go, although he’d tried to wait for Newt. His vision blurred and he buried himself deep inside Newt when he released into him. The feeling of being filled up was all that Newt had needed to follow soon after, pressing his heels into Percival’s back, keeping him close.

 

They both panted afterwards, still holding close. “I never want to leave this flat again”, Percival said, starting to pepper kisses on Newt’s chest and neck anew. “At least you don’t have to today”, Newt answered and caught the auror’s mouth with his own.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm SOOOOOOOO SORRRRRRRYYYYY! 
> 
> I didn't want you to wait for so long, but I couldn't continue writing... I had some kind of blockade and after that I didn't have any time because I had so much work to do... 
> 
> I'm afraid the next chapter will also take some time, but in fact there will be only one or two more chapters to go. So I'm looking forward to finish it around February or March. 
> 
> Thanks to everyone who stayed with this story until now. It means the world to me. 
> 
> Love you all my Darlings! <3

The following days went by as it were minutes. Percy went to work and came back as early as possible. He’d took some of his belongings, most of them clothes, into Newt’s flat, so he wouldn’t have to go to his flat every day. Newt cared for his animals and cooked dinner for the two of them. Everything seemed to be perfect.

 

Percival’s happiness didn’t go unnoticed at the MACUSA though. At the first hand the other aurors just were happy about a director in good mood, but after one and a half week they started to mumble. Of course Queenie knew what was going on. She had looked into Percival’s mind - accidentally that was - and had simply smiled to herself. She didn’t has any problems with any kind of relationship. She loved a No-Maj - that was a ‘scandal’ itself. She had met with Jacob more often after New Year’s Eve and they’d also kissed some times. She gave an owl’s dung to what the other wizards said. Jacob and she would have a future. Period! And that should also go for Newt and Percival.

 

In the end it was Tina who took Percival aside. “Mr. Graves”, she started, but softened her tone immediately and smiled. "Percy..." “Tina, please”, he said. “PerciVAL”, she corrected herself and grinned shortly. She’d pushed him into one of the bookshelf’s in the big office she worked in and had lowered her voice so no one would hear her. “What’s up with you? You’re… I mean it’s nice, but… why are you so untypically happy?” Percival looked as if caught during a robbery. “What?” “Oh come on…”, Tina grumbled. “Everyone chatters about you. It’s simply not normal for you. What happened?”

 

Graves looked around. There were too many people here. “Let’s switch places”, he said and started to walk into the direction of his office. Tina followed him. When they were in there Percival sealed the room with a charm. Tina looked at him expectantly. Percival breathed deeply one more time and then he said: “Newt.” She didn’t change her expression, obviously waiting for more information, not understanding what he’d just told her. When he didn’t add anything else, the information slowly sank in. Tina’s eyes went wide as saucers and her mouth opened several times to say something but there wasn’t any voice to come out. “You and… Newt…?”, she finally got out, tone barely more than a whisper. Percival nodded. How could he ever think that no one would find out? At least it was Tina, he told himself. Better than the Madame President or someone else from the more important persons. Tina had sunken down on the chair next to her, holding her head up with a hand, shaking it continuously. Percival kept standing there. He couldn’t say something as an apology. ‘Because there isn’t something to apologize for’, he reminded himself, trying to slow down his heartbeat a bit. He’d started this relationship with the knowledge that it wouldn’t be accepted by the world. He’d told Newt he didn’t care. So why should he start now? - Because he could lose his job. He could lose everything and in the worst case they would both be locked up in prison. If not in a magical one then in a No-Maj prison.

 

“Do you love him?”, Tina finally pulled him out of his thoughts. “What?” “Do you love him?”, she repeated. He couldn’t tell what she thought. Her face was clear from emotion somehow. Percival hesitated. Not because he didn’t know the answer, but because he wasn’t sure if he was ready to say it aloud. ‘Just fuckin’ say it, Percival! You’re brave, aren’t you?’, he mentally kicked his ass. “Yes”, he therefore told her in the end.

 

Tina just kept looking at him for some more moments, before she sighed. “How could I have ever expected something normal for Newt”, she muttered to herself, then she looked back up at Percival. “I hope you know what you’re doing. I don’t want Newt to get hurt because of you being not aware of any consequences”, she finally told him. “And that’s personal hurt as well as the one caused by public.” Her face clearly showed him how seriously she meant that. “Don’t make him suffer because of you.” She stood and went for the door. When she was already there, Percival woke from his numbness at last. “You won’t tell anybody, will you?”, he asked, trying to hide the nervousness. “ **I** won’t”, she answered and left his office.

 

…………………………………..

 

Back at Newt’s flat Percival was in a bad mood. “What’s wrong?”, Newt asked him, looking up from the plans the auror had reworked today. Percival looked up shortly, before he looked down at the book again, he had been reading. “Tina talked to me”, he said. “What about?”, the magizoologist asked and now really looked concerned. He went over to the armchair and knelt in front of Percival, taking his hands in his, pressing lightly. “She knows”, Percival began. “About us that is.” His voice was low with silent anger. “She didn’t say anything bad to you, did she?”, Newt asked, sure about his friend to understand them and their relationship.

 

“No, she didn’t”, Percival replied and Newt’s heart felt lighter immediately. “But what should we do, Newt? What should **I** do? She said I’ve changed obviously since we are… I mean… I don’t want to hazard you.”

 

Newt took some moments until he locked eyes with Percival. “I’ve looked through the plans. I think we could build the reservation like this.” “Newt!”, Percival nearly screamed and jumped up from the chair. “Don’t act like nothing happened! Today it was Tina, but what about tomorrow? What if the Madame President finds out? What if they fire me?” Newt stood up as well, although a lot slower than Percival had done. He lay a finger onto Percival’s lips to still him, before he sat a light kiss onto them. “I love you”, he told the man in front of him. “And I don’t care if they find out. If they do… I mean I always travelled. Nearly my whole life. I could do this again. The only question is, if you want to travel with me.”

 

Percival stood quiet for a moment, thinking about Newt’s words. Finally he nodded. “As long as I’ll never lose you”, he told the younger man and took him into his arms, giving them a tight hug. “And maybe they will understand”, Newt said and smiled warmly at his ‘boyfriend’. The word was still strange to him, but it was… everything for him. It described his world and the life he wanted to have.

 

…………………………………..

 

The next weeks passed without someone else asking the Director about his good mood, because in fact it wasn’t so good anymore. It wasn’t bad either, but it wasn’t as good as before. Percival tried hard to act as he did before Newt, to concentrate completely at his work. He caught himself just a very few times, smiling about the thought of his lover.

 

He presented the plans to the Madame President when they were finally finished. They would build the reservation as it was described on the plans and Percival was relieved. No animal would have to die – they could all have their life at the reservation.

 

Some time later someone knocked at Percival’s office. “Come in”, he told the person in front of the door. The door opened to the Madame President. He stood up immediately, greeting the head of the MACUSA. “Please sit down”, the President said and closed the door behind her. “What can I do for you?”, he asked when she sat down on the chair in front of his desk. “You can answer me one question”, she said and looked at him expectantly. “Just tell me, if it’s true, what I think is going on”, she continued and Percival gulped hard. Somehow the news must have travelled to the President’s office. But he didn’t say anything until she had asked him.

 

“You and Scamander then”, she stated the question, pulling up one eyebrow. He gulped again, but then nodded. “Yes”, he said, not apologizing or anything. It was true and he would stand to his relationship with the man.

 

“Does this relationship has any kind of influence on your job?”, she asked then and her gaze was scrutinizing. The question took Percival aback. “No”, he said shortly, shaking his head, before adding: “No, it won’t have any influence, Madame President.” She nodded. “Good. Then I don’t see any problem in it.” She stood up and went for the door. “Make sure, that EVERY creature gets its environment”, she said and left.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally the last chapter. 
> 
> I'm very sorry it took sooooo long. I couldn't think of a good end and I'm still not completely happy with it, but better to end the story okay than to end it never.

“Don’t be silly”, Newt protested, but Percival kept his hands around his eyes, when he guided him into the new reservation. Everything had been built the past two month and it all looked beautiful. And what Percival liked most was his little present he had created for Newt.

 

“Just a few more meters”, he told him. When they stopped he took his hands from Newt’s eyes. What the magizoologist could see was something he would never have thought of. In front of him stood a beautiful little house, all grown over with plants and flowers. “What…”, he turned around to Percival. “Why is there a house?”, he asked insecure, but he had a very good idea why. “Because my favourite creature also needs a place to stay, wouldn’t it?”, Percival smiled at his boyfriend.

 

He went past Newt and opened the door to the little house. “You could care for your animals day and night and wouldn’t have to apparate here first”, he said and waited for Newt to come in. When Newt seemed frozen at his spot, Percival went over and took him into his arms bridal style. Newt made a little shocked noise but soon enough slung his arms around Percival. He brought him inside and somehow Newt really felt like a bride on her wedding day when Percy carried him.

 

When they were inside Percival let Newt down so he could have a look at everything. The house wasn’t big, but everything one could need was inside. And still it was a lot bigger than his flat. When he entered the bedroom to have a look at it, he saw two scarfs hanging from a chair. One yellow and black – his old Hufflepuff-scarf and the other one in a well-known dark grey.

 

Newt turned around to Percival who’d followed him. “So you mean…”, he started, but wasn’t able to finish his question, too stunned to do so. “That’s just if you like to”, Percival said with a soft, but also nervous smile on his face. “Are you kiddin’ me?”, Newt asked and went to hug Percival tight. “Of course! I couldn’t imagine to not live together with you.” He happily pressed his lips on Percival’s. “Thank you”, he smiled and there was a little hint of tears in his eyes. Of course they’d shared the flat before, but this would be THEIR house. Their very own.

 

After collecting himself, they went out again, inspecting all the enclosures for the creatures. Newt brought them with him in the suitcase. One after another was brought to his new home and Newt made sure everyone was happy and got everything it wanted and needed. Percival helped him with it and a few hours later they sank to the sofa tiredly.

 

There was a happy fire dancing in the little fireplace and Newt put his head on Percival’s chest, listening to his heartbeat. Percy stroked his hair gently. He was happy that now every of Newt’s creatures had a good place to live. Not that they hadn’t a good life in Newt’s suitcase, too, but now they had a lot more space and real fresh air. And of course Newt also had a place to stay now. ‘And me, too’, Percival thought after a moment. He’d found his home in Newt.

 

Carefully he set a kiss on Newt’s head. He had already fallen asleep, too exhausted to stay awake any longer. So Percival took him in his arms, carrying to their new bedroom. He’d hoped for a more lively first night in their new home but looking down at his love’s peaceful face was so much better in the moment than he’d ever expected.

 

He lay Newt down at the bed, pulling the covers over his sleeping form, before also lay down. As soon as he was seated, Newt crawled close, slinging his arms and legs around Percival, hugging close. He lay his arms around him, too. “Good night, Newt”, he whispered and with a motion of his hand the lights went out.

 

 

\---The End---

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked it and I'm very thankful that you stayed with me until now. 
> 
> See you soon in another story, my loves! 
> 
> (I'm always happy about ideas for stories, so feel free to send them to me. :3)


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